Master of Puppets
by The Unholy Trinity of Horror
Summary: I'm pulling your strings. Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams. Blinded by me, you can't see a thing. Just call my name, 'cause I'll hear you scream. A collab between darkNnerdy, Livie79, and Raggdolly.
1. Chapter 1

Silver moonlight sliced through the trees, casting long shadows that danced over the leaf-littered forest floor. In a clearing, among the deafening sound of thousands of crickets, stood a man. The blade of his machete glinted in the moonlight. Dark red blood dripped from the tip and splatted onto the dried leaves below. He exhaled heavily, his hot breath billowing up in a fog as it hit the crisp night air.

His eyes narrowed behind his mask as he stared at the cabin across the clearing. The lights were out, and to anyone passing by, it would seem deserted, empty. But he knew better. She was inside. The only one left of her ten person group who'd decided to take a last minute camping trip before the weather turned cold.

But the rest of her group was gone. Bloody, butchered, and on their way to becoming rotting corpses. Lifting his boot-clad foot, he stepped forward, the crunch of leaves and the snapping of twigs causing a knot of excitement to form in his stomach. She knew he was out there. She knew he was coming for her.

The old wooden steps creaked as his weight bore down on them. The girl inside covered her mouth with both hands, trying to quieten her fear-induced gasping breaths. Her body trembled and her heart hammered so loud she was certain he could hear it banging against her ribs. The door groaned in protest as it slowly swung open, the light of the moon casting a silhouette around the man in the doorway. The man who had gutted and decapitated her friends.

Her swollen, red eyes widened with terror. She watched his shadow move closer, the toe of his boot coming into view as he stepped into the room. She drew her knees into her chest, trying to make herself smaller, invisible. But in the sparsely furnished room, blanketed with dust covered sheets, there were only so many places to hide. She had to escape. If she remained inside, she would die. Just like her friends.

Her killer looked from left to right, his eyes sweeping across the room. He smelled her. The smell of her fear mixed with the disgusting aroma of her perfume caused his eyes to prick and his mouth to water. He loathed all that she represented, but he craved her as well. Her terror. Her hopelessness.

His desire to slice into her skin, to spill her blood, made adrenaline course through his veins. He couldn't wait to close his eyes and sway to the melodic sound of her screams. He would paint the walls with her blood.

Excitement pushed him forward, panic caused her to react. She jerked, her back hitting the wall with a thud that echoed around the room. Behind his mask, her killer smiled. Swift steps―one, two, three―brought him closer to his target. The girl screamed. All sense of self-preservation was gone as fear corroded her mind.

She jumped to her feet, screaming in pain when the blade of the machete plunged deep into her abdomen. Blood splattered across the floor as her assailant ripped the weapon from her organs. Her body stiffened as she covered the now gaping wound with her hands. Stumbling forward, she lifted a blood covered hand to brace against the wall as she continued her futile attempt to escape.

Volcanic heat ripped through her as the blade once again plunged into her body. She tried to scream, but the sound died as blood gurgled in her throat. Her hand, soaked with blood, made a wet smacking sound as it connected with the window. Her knees buckled and the room darkened as she fell, her palm dragging down the window, hanging on until the very last moment before she collapsed to the floor.

He stood over her, a sinister smile gracing his lips that were hidden behind a blood covered mask. With one last satisfying glance at her blood-soaked body and mangled blonde hair, he waltzed out of the cabin and toward his home. There he would wait, hidden in the shadows, until the next group of unfortunate fools decided to go camping.

.

.

Less than a hundred miles away, Bella threw a duffel bag into the back of her jeep and slammed the door closed. Grabbing her best guy's hand, she flashed him a warm smile and pressed her lips to his. "Is everyone ready?"

He grinned and tugged her closer. "Yeah, we're taking three cars so no one is crowded. Are you sure you're up for this?"

Nodding in reassurance, she slipped behind the wheel. "Yeah, baby. Of course. I love camping."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: We don't own it. But we'll abuse the hell out of it.**

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**Chapter Two**

Bella sucked in a deep breath, the familiar scent of the woods making her stomach tighten. "I love it here," she exhaled, slamming her door shut.

"It's beautiful," Esme commented. Pulling her backpack over her shoulder, she eyed the two cabins. "Does it matter which one we take?"

Bella shook her head. "Not to me. E, you gotta preference?"

"Nah, so long as we have a bed, I'm good." He leered at Bella, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Get a room," Carlisle yelled. Wrapping his arms around Esme, he leaned down and kissed her neck. "Although I do have to agree with him."

Kate joined the group, her hands pressed to her chest in an exaggerated motion. "Are there no gentlemen among us?"

Garrett stepped beside her and shook his head. "Don't look at me. I'm as dirty as they come. You might want to look for Ben. He's your best bet."

"You're all assholes," Esme laughed, elbowing Carlisle in the side.

"How many times have you been here?" Ben asked as he and Angela joined the others.

"I came here every summer with my parents when I was younger. When they," Bella took a steady breath, "when they died I was in sixth grade. I was in the car with them when they took their last breath. I had a really hard time after that. The only thing that brought me comfort was this place. It made me feel closer to them. My aunt brought me back every summer until I was able to drive myself." She shrugged and looked down at her feet. "It just sorta became a tradition."

Strong arms wrapped around Bella from behind as warm lips kissed her neck. "I'm glad I could come with you, baby."

"Me too, E." Bella tightened her arms around his, her heart thundering in her chest.

"C'mon girls, let's go put our stuff away and figure out what we want for dinner," Esme cut in.

Bella smiled and pulled herself free. Turning toward Esme, she nodded. "Sounds good. We can unpack and hang out in one cabin for a while."

Angela and Bella headed toward one cabin, while Kate and Esme took off for the other. Throwing their duffle bags into each of the bedrooms, Bella and Angela moved to the kitchen to put away the food.

"Didn't you say something about the park being closed last year?"

"Yeah, it was shut down for almost a year. Apparently a pack of wolves had ventured too close to the cabins and some people were hurt."

Angela swallowed thickly, her eyes wide. "But they're gone now, right?"

Bella steeped to Angela and gave her reassuring hug. "Of course they are. Shipped off to some animal reservation or something. I'm pretty sure it made the news."

"Whoa, what's going on in here?" Ben asked, lifting his brows suggestively.

"Jesus, you're as bad as E," Angela groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Who's as bad as me?"

"Ben. He's no more of a gentleman than the rest of you losers." Bella's eyes drifted shut when he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

"You okay?" he whispered, his hands cradling her jaw and tilting her face.

"Yeah. I think I need some air. I'll be back."

"It's almost dark. Be careful."

"Yes, sir." Bella saluted him and turned on her heel, disappearing out the front door.

While the rest of the gang started dinner and mixed drinks, Bella wove her way through the trees toward the lake. She pulled her hands inside the sleeves of her sweater and wrapped her arms around herself. Her teeth chattered and her hair whipped around her face from the cold wind coming off the dark choppy waters. Her mind drifted to her parents and all the summers they'd spent hanging out on the dock in front of her. The sky darkened and the stars twinkled above as time slipped by. Her body tensed when the sound of twigs snapping echoed in her ears.

"Hey," a soft familiar voice breathed.

"You scared me." Bella dropped her head to his shoulder and gripped his arms as he wrapped them around her waist.

"I missed you."

"I haven't been gone that long," she mumbled, a small smile lifting her cheeks.

"It felt like forever."

"I'm sorry. I just love it out here. I always have. There's something about the quiet that appeals to me."

"Is that a hint for me to leave you alone?"

"Never."

"Tell me," he begged, his hands sliding up to her breasts.

Bella turned and faced him. "I never want you to leave me alone, Edward. Not ever."

He dipped his head, his hot breath fanning over her face as he pressed his cold lips to hers.

"You should get back," he whispered, his arms tightened around her. "You're freezing."

"What about you?"

"I've gotta take a piss. I'll be right behind you."

A slow smile spread across Bella's face. "Yeah?"

His smile matched hers. "Oh, yeah." Kissing her nose, he spun her around and smacked her ass. "Now go."

Giggling, Bella took off in a jog toward the cabins. She hadn't realized she needed to use the bathroom as well until the moment. As soon as she broke through the trees she scrambled up the stairs to her cabin and flew through the door. The lights were off and no one seemed to be inside. Figuring everyone had moved to the other cabin she quickly used the bathroom before changing into more comfortable clothes. Checking herself over in the mirror, she grabbed her phone and headed for the other cabin.

When she pushed the door open, she was assaulted with Kate's drunken giggles. "Bella, tell E that I can totally out drink him."

Falling onto the couch beside him, Bella gave Kate an indulgent smile. "E," Bella said, her tone serious, her expression blank. "Kate can totally drink you under the table."

The room was silent for a moment before everyone double over with laughter. Drinks flowed and stories were told. The light, happy atmosphere was a stark contrast to the evil lurking outside the windows. The man moved without sound from vehicle to vehicle. Cutting wires and ripping cables, he disabled their vehicles one behind the other.

His breath fanned around his masked face like a puff of smoke as adrenaline coursed through his veins. When he was satisfied with his work, he slipped through the cover of trees to his home. Once inside, he fell onto the sofa and closed his eyes. He thought about all the blood he would spill. The pain and death he would cause. Running his thumb over the blade of his machete, he smiled when his skin split and warm blood ran over the shiny, silver surface. But it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted their blood.

And he would have it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just make it wicked. **

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**Chapter Three**

"What do you guys think about skinny dipping?" Kate slurred, stumbling from her place on the bed.

"Oh, shit." Garrett stood up beside her, spilling some of his beer from the quick movement. "I'm so down for that."

"That lake is going to be so cold," Bella laughed.

Garrett smiled. "Fuck. That's even better!"

"It won't do you any favors, G," Carlisle said. "And from what I've heard, you need all the help you can get.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! I've gotten no complaints."

"Am I the only one?" Kate looked around, her eyes landing on Angela, who shrugged and said, "It's not really my thing."

"Y'all are so lame. I'm gonna go polar bear plunging by myself then. I give no fucks." Kate stumbled to the door, pushing it open into the chilly night air. Garrett followed, tucking his arms to his chest at the sudden rush of cold plowing against his skin.

Kate slung her arm over his neck and laughed, causing both of them to nearly stumble to the ground. They leaned on each other until they reached the dock extending over the edge of the lake. Kate kicked her sneakers off, then unbuttoned her jeans.

Esme stepped next to her. "Are you really going to do this?"

"Yeah," Ben said, dropping a towel at Kate's bare feet. "Won't this make you sober?"

"That's a good point. Baby, maybe you shouldn't do this." Garrett touched her shoulder, hoping to rid her of the idea, but she didn't care for his opinion.

"I've done it before. I'm just going to jump in then get out. Polar bear plunging." Kate smiled, ripping the shirt over her head. "You guys worry too much."

They watched as she jumped into the lake, shouting at the top of her lungs about how cold it was. Drenched and shaking, Kate emerged from the water and wrapped the towel around her. She turned from the laughter that had ignited throughout the group, her gaze falling on a set of cabins across the lake.

They were darker than the others, resting under the protection of trees where the moonlight couldn't reach. Kate's stomach flipped at the sight. Something strange settled in her thoughts and she spun back to her friends.

Their laughter echoed through the night and trees, making its way across the lake. Bella clung to a lean, pale arm, her head rested upon his shoulder as he whispered secrets in her ear. His hair was wild in the moonlight, a stark contrast to her tame curls.

"Bella," Kate said, interrupting them.

Bella looked up with a smile plastered on her face.

"Those cabins over there... what's up with them?" Her teeth chattered, and when Garrett saw this he pulled her close.

"I don't know," Bella said. "I've never been over there. My parents always said it was too far."

"They look haunted," Angela added. "Are they haunted?"

"I don't think so?" Bella shook her head with a chuckle.

"Let's get Kate back into the cabin. I think she's finally seeing the error of her ways," Carlisle said.

Kate shivered fiercely in Garrett's embrace as he started to guide her back to their cabin. Angela picked up Kate's clothes and shoes, following behind.

They climbed into one cabin, turning the wall-mounted heater on full blast.

"Was it worth it?" Bella asked, leaning against E's hard chest. Her fingers traced the line of his thigh to his knee. He could almost feel the heat of her finger through his jeans. He ran a hand through his hair to distract himself.

"No," Kate laughed, taking a sip of her newly opened beer.

"Here, this is stronger. It''ll warm you right up." Ben handed her a bottle of tequila, which she gladly accepted.

Swigs were taken, laughter exchanged, and the night pressed into early morning. All the while an eavesdropper wasn't far away.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Angela said and rose to her hands and knees, crawling out the front door. Ben followed, closing the door behind them. Guilt hugged his thoughts. He didn't stop her from taking one too many shots of Cuervo. He helped her to the grass and apologized over and over as her stomach emptied.

A deranged smile curved on the eavesdropper's lips as he thought about what was to come when the front door of the cabin had banged open. Rising from his crouched position, he moved closer to where a drunken Angela tripped over her feet.

Angela groaned, her hand covering her mouth.

"C'mon, I'll help you inside," Ben said. His hand rested on her back as he began to pull her away.

She started to move again, but the motion caught hold of her once more. She tore away from Ben's guiding touch and toward the side of the cabin.

Angela shook her head. "No. I can't. Go ahead inside, I'll be right there."

The man smiled behind his mask as she disappeared around the corner. With a malicious gleam in his eyes, he focused on an unsuspecting Ben.

He never saw him coming.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just make it bleed.**

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**Chapter Four**

Ben took one more look behind him―cringing at the sounds coming from Angela―when the man stepped out of the shadows. The man's fingers tightened on the wooden handle and the moon reflected off his bloodied blade. The machete entered Ben's back with ease, the tip slicing a path through his organs. Ben looked down, his mouth falling open in a silent scream as the blade exited through his stomach.

Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth, falling like a waterfall down his chin. It bubbled and spewed as he tried to speak, his heart sputtering. The man planted his boot on Ben's back and with a quick jerk, he withdrew the blade. Ben's body slumped to the ground, falling at the masked man's feet.

The man's smile grew. His eyes danced with excitement as he tangled his fingers into Ben's blood soaked hair and pulling him deeper into the woods.

"Ben?" Angela's stomach flipped, her head spinning as a twig snapped behind her. "I told you I'd be okay. You don't need to see this." She heaved again, unable to control it as her nose burned and acid coated her mouth.

She regretted the alcohol in her system as she wiped her mouth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd gotten so drunk, and she had plans tonight. Black lingerie was sitting in her suitcase, waiting to be used. A box of unopened condoms in her purse. Another twig snapped, this time closer, the sound making her dizzy as her stomach rolled again.

"Please go away…" Angela's plea was cut short as something cracked the side of her jaw. She stumbled and fell as blinding pain ripped through her face. Blinking, she sat up slowly as her vision came back into focus. Her eyes widened with terror when she was met with dark eyes behind a dirty mask.

"Don't hurt me," she slurred, touching her split lip, her mouth full of blood. A sob caught in her throat as her bottom teeth crumbled under her fingers.

The man looked down at her, the sight of blood making his heart race with excitement. He kneeled, a cruel smile on his lips as he brushed her sweat-soaked hair away from her face.

"Please…" Disoriented and confused, she held her broken teeth in the palm of her hand for him to see. "Help me."

He said nothing. Instead, he raised his fist and connected with her face once more. The wet sound of his skin meeting hers was only rivaled by the thud of her back slamming against the ground. A shiver ran down his spine and goose bumps covered his skin at the sight of her face etched with pain.

Grabbing her around the waist, he hoisted her over his shoulder. His blade dragged the ground as he carried her semi-conscience body deeper into the forest. He'd already propped Ben against a tree. Arranging his body as if it were waiting just for them.

He didn't bother with Angela. With a thud she fell to the ground, her body slumping over her boyfriend's. For several moments, the man stood back and enjoyed his work. The way they looked as if they were sleeping, enjoying each others company, as they lay together. But he didn't have all night.

With an impatient twitch in his legs he moved closer, annoyed that Angela hadn't woken up. He didn't bother to kick her awake. Instead, he lifted the blade into the air and brought it down deep into her leg. The sound of Angela's bones shattering and her piercing screams echoed off the trees around them.

She tried desperately to move―to pull away―but the blade only tore up her thigh. It ripped at her her muscles and shredded her nerves. Blood poured, sticky and thick, from her wound.

He took pleasure in her pain.

When he removed the blade, she was sure he was done. She looked up at him, her face covered in blood and streaked with tears. His head cocked to the side as studied her briefly before shoving the machete into her arm.

He snatched it out when she grabbed at the blade, nearly ripping her arm in two. Over and over he stabbed her. A hole here. A gash there. Her screams were like music. A dark haunting melody he could listen to forever.

Lifting the machete maddeningly slow, he tapped the tip of the blade to her bottom lip. Snot, tears, and blood mixed together. Her body sagged and her vision began to dim. She couldn't speak―could barely move―as she gasped her final breaths.

The man pushed the blade further into her mouth causing a final burst of adrenaline―spiked by fear―to surge through her. Lifting her arm, that hadn't been shredded to bits, she wrapped her fingers around the razor-sharp metal. Her eyes, wide with terror, froze when he thrust forward, pushing the blade through the back of her skull. He wondered absently how the metal might taste in her mouth as it slide free, two severed fingers falling to the ground.

He didn't bother burying them. He didn't even look back as he made his way out of the woods to watch the others. To wait for his next victim.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just like to terrorize it. **

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**Chapter Five**

The man stalked the woods outside the cabins. He wanted more blood, more pain. But the longer he waited, the more he realized he didn't want the game to end. He wasn't ready to be alone again. He wanted his victims jumpy, nervous. He wanted them to know they were going to die, and there wasn't anything they could do to stop him. With a fleeting glance, he disappeared through the trees once more.

Bella groaned, her head pounding. Rolling to her side, she was met with warm pale skin and a head full of messy hair. "Morning."

"Fuck no. It's not time to get up, B. Go the fuck on with that shit."

"Don't get shitty with me, E." She exaggerated the first letter of his name, annoyed he was acting like a jerk. "You're the one that decided to have a drinking contest with Kate. Maybe you should have stopped drinking when we were at the lake."

"I know," he whined. "I know how you could make it better, though."

Bella screeched and jumped from the bed when his hand snaked between her legs. "Oh, no you don't. You don't get to act like a jerk, then expect me to make it better. Better get to workin or your jerkin."

She giggled at his petulant expression and moved into the kitchen. Angela and Ben were no where to be found as Bella started a pot of coffee. She'd just finished her toast when E finally sauntered into the room.

"Where's A to the B?"

Bella rolled her eyes. "I don't know. They haven't come out of their room yet." Taking a sip of her coffee she looked up, her gaze landing on a pair of red rimmed eyes sparkling with mischief. "What are you up to?"

"Do you think they finally fucked?"

"Oh, my God. That is none of your business."

Ignoring her cry of protest, he crept to Ben's and Angela's bedroom door and leaned against it. His smile fell and his brows furrowed when he was met with silence. Pushing the door open, his mouth fell open. "The fuckers aren't even in here? What kind of shit is this? I wanted to catch Ben bustin' a nut."

Bella giggled and shook her head. "Oh, Edward," she mumbled, a smile on her face. "Maybe they got up early for a hike?"

"Well, that's just fucking lame. Let's go see if the others are up. Since you made me jack off this morning, I feel marginally better. A beer should take care of the rest."

Hand in hand, the two made their way over to the other cabin. The rest of the gang wasn't in much better shape. All of them were sluggish and hungover. "There's no way they went hiking," Kate whispered, her hands clutched to either side of her head. "Did you guys not hear her puking her guts out last night? So fucking nasty."

"That's true. Do you think they passed out behind the cabins?" Esme asked.

"Maybe they ended up in the back seat of their car," Carlisle laughed.

Aafter a late lunch and a peek into the back seats of their cars, they hung out a few more hours before the group started to worry. "Maybe we should go look for them." Garrett shifted his weight, eyeing the rest of the group.

Everyone murmured their agreement. "We should split up into pairs. It's going to be dark soon. We can cover more ground that way."

"Good idea, Carlisle. You and Esme head toward the lake."

"We'll hit the trails," Bella piped up.

"Okay. Kate and I will look behind the cabins. Everyone have their cell phones?"

"They don't work."

Garrett groaned. "We'll be okay. No more than two hours, guys. Yell if you find them. Start a fire. Turn on all the lights. Do something to give the rest of us a signal."

Nodding in agreement, everyone took off in different directions. "Hey, Kate? I'm going to grab a jacket for you and see if I can find a flashlight. Don't leave without me. I'll be right back."

"Okay." Kate swallowed around the lump in her throat and wrapped her arms around her waist as Garrett disappeared inside. A shiver ran down her spine as an eerie silence surrounded her. Unable to stand still, she glanced at the door before moving around the side of the cabin. She covered her mouth as soon as she rounded the corner and gagged. The rancid smell of vomit burned her nose and made her eyes water.

"Fuck," she choked, her mouth watering and her throat tight. She turned to go back around front, but paused when she noticed a large clump of leaves. Stepping closer, her pulse quickened and roared in her ears. Her hands shook as she kneeled. "Oh, god." Pushing a leaf back, she was met with the sight of a bloody, broken tooth. Her eyes scanned the ground, noticing more and more leaves smeared with blood.

"It's not blood." Her voice was no more than a whisper as she touched her finger to the ground hidden beneath a leaf. Still damp and cold, the liquid stuck to her skin. "It's blood." Her voice rose as she clambered to her feet. "It's blood." She stumbled back, terror welling inside her. "It's blood," she screamed. "Garrett, it's blood!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: We don't own it. We just like to penetrate it. **

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**Chapter Six**

The twilit sky had just begun to settle over the shadowy mountain of trees. Chirps, tweets and rustles of the day life had settled, giving way to the echos of whippoorwills and owls perched in the branches above. Some places in the camp were darker than others, and under the guard of branches thick with leaves, Carlisle was forced to switch on his flashlight. The trusty beam guided the way in front of them, searching the ground as Esme called out to Ben and Angela.

The old cabins were just ahead, the cabins Bella told them she'd never been allowed to venture. The entire camp seemed that way. Paths in the woods lead to darkened corners and dead ends, but Carlisle and Esme weren't sure they wanted to venture that far. If Ben and Angela wanted to be alone that bad, then they could have their privacy.

"Where do you think they went?" Esme asked, turning to Carlisle. "Do you think they're playing a prank on us?" She almost wanted to sneer and shake her head at such a thought. If they so much as giggled when they found them, she would strangle them both! "This better not be some sick, demented, twisted joke. I swear..."

Carlisle laughed. "You swear what? You wouldn't do anything. You're as docile as a fly."

She wrapped her arms tighter into her sweater, protecting herself against the chilly wind. "I'll have you know, flies throw up whenever they land."

"What the fuck are you saying? You're going to throw up on them?"

"No! I'm just saying flies aren't harmless. They carry diseases."

"So, you're going to give them a disease?"

Esme knew he was joking, hoping to make light of the serious mood which had taken over everyone's emotions since the search began, but she couldn't find a laugh. To her, she wouldn't laugh until everyone was safe and sound back in the cabin drinking beers and keeping warm by the fireplace. She wanted yesterday back. She missed the infectious group laughter. She despised Carlisle's bad attempts at cheering her up.

"Shut up," she hissed back at him. "You know what I'm talking about. I'm not harmless. I can be a bitch when I want to be."

"You're a bitch all the time, Esme. Well, most of the time. I don't hold it against you, though." He pulled on her elbow, spinning her around and forcing her to bump into him. He held her there, the flashlight barely dangling in his hand. "In fact, it's my favorite quality."

He began backing her up, step by step.

She smiled, then. "It is not."

"It is. I like that you know what you want and you go for it. No questions asked."

Step by step they fell blind into the dark, and just as Esme opened her mouth to give him a rebuttal, a solid object tangled in her feet and she fell backward. Carlisle stumbled, too, but he released her, leaving her to fall to the ground without him. There was no soft grass to break her fall, only the strange, jagged terrain on which she stumbled. She mumbled fuck and shit as she rolled over, her back still gripped by the cold sensation that found its way through her sweater.

Her palm rested on something icy and curious. Esme looked over at what she'd fallen on. Carlisle righted himself and pointed the beam of light onto the thing, and when it fell over the object she flipped onto her back once more, pushing and kicking herself away. Carlisle had finally been rendered silent, his entire body stiff as he stared. There were no words to exchanged back and forth. They both knew what they found.

A body. A rotten, skeletal frame of a once-living human. Bits of flesh still clung to the rib cage, the angles and grooves of the face and neck. The fingers were claw-like and the tips were resting in the ground, as though the person were clutching the dirt. A silver ring dangled on the middle finger, but the shine was no longer there. Like the body, it had been eaten by the weather and ruined by time. A mop of blond hair could be seen under the skull, the long locks covered in mud.

The longer Esme stared, the harsher the scream clawed at her throat, but she couldn't make a sound. Nothing in her mind could explain it, nor did she want it explained. She simply wanted to rise from her back and swim across the lake. The way they came be damned! She didn't want to walk that far! Her shaking legs would never make it.

"Esme," Carlisle choked and swallowed, his light held firm on the decayed corpse. "Let's go. We have to tell them what we found. We have to get out of here."

Without a single word, Esme nodded and began to lift herself from the ground. Her elbows were weak and jittery. Her knees felt as though they would give out. Movement around the cabin's corner caught her eye and when she saw the figure of a man standing there, a shining blade hanging from his hand in the moonlight, she stopped.

"Carlisle," she whispered, staring at the form. "Behind you."

He turned as the man began to take wide strides toward him. It was the way a man would walk when he knew what he wanted, and would do anything to get it. For just a single moment, Esme thought of her father and the way he would take big steps like that, but when he found his way out of the shadow of the cabin and into the silver light of the moon, all thoughts faded. The whole of the machete wasn't gleaming. Red coated the metal in long bursts, and the moment her mind deciphered that,she knew the man meant to harm them.

Carlisle's steps traced backward, and Esme pushed herself off the ground. "Run!" she screamed.

He did. He took off across the lawn, back toward the path they'd taken to get around the lake. Esme tried to match him stride for stride, but she couldn't equal Carlisle's speed. Her breath skirted across her cheeks, her adrenaline spiking through her arms as she pumped them by her side. She followed Carlisle, but when he ducked into the cover of trees, following that narrow path, she called to him to wait.

He didn't.

She darted into the tangle, hoping he would be there, but he wasn't. She looked back, no longer seeing the man with the blade, so she stopped. Her breaths were sharp and cold in her chest. "Carlisle!" she called. "Carlisle!"

There were two paths just beyond the line of trees she entered, and with the thoughts racing through her mind, she didn't know which one they came from earlier. One would send her back to their cabins. The other would lead her to some unknown, abandoned buildings that hadn't been used in years. Bella told them this last night. The camp was a maze of paths and cabins. It was too easy to get lost. With all those thoughts, Esme was too late to escape.

Just as she began to turn toward a path, a sharp, hot burn melted her back and insides. Her mouth dropped open and she gasped for air. In the darkness, she saw something sticking through her abdomen, out of her favorite blue sweater. She wanted to reach for it, to remove the thing, but instead she could only stare. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Thoughts were lost. Reactions gone.

Her breath shortened, and just as it entered, it left her body. Another slice of pain rung through her insides, and knees first she collapsed to the ground with one final breath.

The blade in his hand dripped from the hilt with a fresh coat of blood. The man peered through his mask, his eyes settling on the beaten path. He could still catch the blond pussy who left his woman alone and unprotected. He could catch him before he reached the others. He would be next. And the masked man would enjoy pulling the blond's intestines from his body.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just like to hack it into pieces.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

The sound of Carlisle's boots when they hit the dried leaves made it easy for the man to track him. Even Carlisle's quiet sobs were easy to decipher in the dense forest. He could smell him. The stench of a coward as he passed the trees. His machete scraped the bark, sharpening the blade as he went. The sound was music to his ears.

A few feet ahead, sweat soaked Carlisle's shirt and his legs began to cramp. They ached as he tripped over limbs, his mind racing as he thought of the masked man. Of Esme. He'd left her to die. He hadn't even thought twice about it. He saw what was coming and Esme was closer. She had been the perfect distraction for him to get away. An easy target for their killer to take, and he didn't care. He would have shoved her body at the killer, offered her up on a silver platter, if it kept him alive. He stopped for a moment and looked around. He rested against a tree, trying to catch his breath.

"I'll just tell them I found her like that. That he already killed her." A plan began to form in his mind as his heart started to slow. He'd heard her screaming at him as he ran off. There was no way she could have survived. Not his Esme.

"I need to find her body." He looked around once more. The moon had began to cast shadows all around him. He couldn't see or hear the man that lurked just feet away. He couldn't see the man's calm, serene face that was just as expressionless as the mask covering it.

He jumped at every sound as he took off back for her, this time in slow steady strides. He looked over his shoulder every few seconds, bit the inside of his cheek whenever he felt someone watching him. It took less than two minutes for him to change his mind and turn around. Esme was dead and the killer was out there somewhere. If he went any further, he'd be too far from the cabins. From his friends. They could help him. They'd comfort him for his loss and then they could all get the hell out of there. If his friends wanted to stick around, he'd at least have the keys to his car.

When a noise sounded just inches from him, he broke out in a full stride. The man moved closer, his machete whirling in the air beside him. He kept out of sight as Carlisle tripped and smacked his head on the wet forest floor.

"Fuck!" Carlisle laid on the damp mud, cursing. He was sure he was lost and now his leg was twisted and his body screamed in pain. He tried to lift up, but a shadow loomed over him, making his stomach drop and his heart race.

"You!" His fingers dug into the mud as he tried to push himself away. "You killed Esme."

The man stood over him, his free hand balled into a tight fist. Carlisle eyed the blade. He knew whose blood covered it. Whose blood streaked and stained the man's pants. He knew, and he hated himself for wishing Esme's death took longer.

"You have to let me go. I have family. They'll be looking for me," Carlisle begged as the blade swept across his cheek.

"Jesus. Fuck, okay!" He touched his cheek and swiped at the blood. "I have money. Lots of money. You can have it."

The man didn't answer. He didn't even blink. The machete was in the air once more, this time connecting with Carlisle's fingers.

Blood sprayed the ground below, coating the broken leaves and leaving Carlisle with only the thumb of his right hand. His bloodied fingers stuck in the mud, each one still twitching as they stood straight.

A horrified scream surrounded them as Carlisle looked down. "You sick fuck!" he spat, adrenaline pushing him to his feet as clutched his hand to his shirt, trying to stop the bleeding. He didn't even have time for his flight or fight instinct to kick in before the man was over him again. It wouldn't have mattered anyway, he was no match for the killer before him.

Carlisle swung his good arm wildly, hoping to to make contact, but was easily overpowered by the masked man. The muscles in the killer's arm bulged as he tightened his hand around Carlisle's closed fist. With a quick twist and flex of his forearm, his strength snapped the bones in Carlisle's wrist and sent him to the ground once more.

Another swipe of the blade met his knee. It sliced through muscle and stuck into Carlisle's bone. Crimson soaked his jeans and ran down his leg. His body began to shake as he lost more blood. Animals scattered around them, the sound of danger carrying their feet deeper into the woods as Carlisle cried.

"Please stop! I'll give you anything. Anything!" He pleaded, but the man only hacked at him more.

Each time the blade made contact his heart beat faster. The machete vibrated with each strike to the bone and sent a trail of goose bumps over the man's skin. He sliced at Carlisle until his entire body was covered in mud and bits of his own flesh. He was flayed open like a stuck pig. Tendons and muscles hung from open gashes. Bone stuck through the skin on his arms, shattering as the man stomped them.

Chunks of blonde hair littered the ground. The harsh jagged blade cut into the meat of Carlisle's head when he moved. The man had sliced off scalp and all. When Carlisle reached up, his fingers were met with the soft squishy fat left behind.

Bile burned as Carlisle caught glimpse after glimpse of his insides. He reached down trying to close his side as blood poured out of him, but the man sliced at his wrist.

Carlisle begged and sobbed, wishing for death, but the man wouldn't stop. His excitement was too high. The gore and blood had him swinging the blade over and over. Like a child would beat at a pinata hoping to find candy inside.

"I can't…" Carlisle began as his eyes grew heavy. Blood caught in his throat, drowning him and filling his mouth. He wanted to say he was sorry to Esme. He wanted to beg her to forgive him.

He closed his eyes instead, his entire body going numb.

When there was barely any recognizable trace of Carlisle's body visible the man stood back. He had been sure he'd killed him. Carlisle was a fighter and when one of his remaining fingers twitched at his side the man smiled.

With his arm high in the air and his boot firm on Carlisle stomach he brought the blade down onto his neck. He swung again and blood sprayed his mask and dripped onto his lips beneath. He chopped at Carlisle's neck. He ripped through nerves and carved into his spine. Blood soaked his mask and ran into his eyes. He tasted it on his tongue as he severed Carlisle's head from his body.

He didn't bother wiping himself clean as he snatched the head up by what little hair was left. Grabbing a stick at his feet, he dug it into the ground. The sound of the stick as it entered Carlisle's brain had the man eager for more.

As the man headed back toward the other cabins, it was Carlisle's dead eyes that watched him go. With blood staining his face like tears and brain matter falling to the ground in chunks, Carlisle's once handsome face was completely unrecognizable.

.

.

.

Garrett and Kate ran side by side. The blood they'd found still fresh in their minds as they searched frantically for their friends. Kate couldn't stop thinking about the teeth, about Ben and Angela.

"It could be nothing, Kate." Garrett tried to sooth her, but her sobs were too loud.

"There was so much blood. And those teeth." Her stomach rolled just thinking about it.

"Maybe it was an accident."

"Stop!" Garrett grabbed Kate around her waist and slung her behind him.

"Oh my god!" Kate screamed, and her stomach emptied as Garrett took a step closer to the unfamiliar cabin.

"We have to get the others!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just like to make it scream.**

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**Chapter Eight**

"Bella, I can't even see anything. We should go back before we get lost too."

"Do you think they found them?" She squinted, her eyes straining to make out their surroundings. They'd been walking around for what felt like forever and her body was aching from the cold.

E shrugged. "I don't know. But we're not going to do them any good if they have to look for us too. Do you know where we are?"

Bella's teeth chattered as she looked from side to side. "I think we're close to the lake. We should probably head back that way." She hooked her thumb over her shoulder as he turned to face her. "I'm really worried about them."

He stepped closer and grabbed her hands. "I know, baby. So am I. But I have to take care of you. You come first."

The masked man's chest rose and fell heavily as he watched the lovers. He wondered if the guy in front of him would take off like his friend did. He hoped so. He wanted to take his time with the brunette. He wanted to hear her scream for hours.

Excitement drew the killer closer. He stepped forward, the twig under his foot snapping and echoing like a cannon in the quiet night. E whipped around, pushing Bella behind him. "Bella, go. Run."

"No," she choked, her fingers digging into his sides as she walked backward, pulling him with her. The killer flexed his hand around the handle of his machete and advanced on them.

"Bella, get the fuck out of here."

"I won't leave you," she screamed, her body vibrating with fear.

The killer was both disappointed and excited by the united front the couple before him presented. It would make the kill so much more enticing. He moved quickly then, one, two, three steps forward.

He reached forward with his free hand and wrapped it around the boyfriend's throat. He wanted to see the blood vessels in his eyes burst. He wanted to choke him until all but a dim shadow of life remained, then he wanted to bring him back and slice him into a million pieces. What he wasn't expecting, what none of the others had done, was for his victim to fight.

E swung his arm forward and slammed his fist against the hard plastic shell that covered the killer's face. The killer stumbled back, dazed. E pulled free from the grip Bella had on his shirt and stepped forward, landing another blow to the killer's abdomen, all the while screaming for Bella to run, to get away, to save herself.

"No! I won't leave you." Bella's heart thundered in her chest, her eyes straining to follow the two dark figures in front of her as they danced around each other. The blade of the machete gleamed in the moonlight as it sliced through the frigid air.

E gritted his teeth and ducked before the blade connected with his face. He had one thought and one thought only: protecting Bella. The killer swung his arm around, backhanding E in the face and sending him to the ground.

Bella gripped her hair, her eyes searching frantically for a weapon, anything that would help. Anything that would end the scene in front of her. E scrambled to his feet, narrowly escaping the machete as it dug into the ground beside him. Lowering his shoulder, he lurched forward. His body slammed into the killer's abdomen, knocking him to the ground.

E smiled as he felt a surge of adrenaline overcome his senses. He straddled the killer, his knees pinning the killer's arms to the ground. "Now what, mother fucker?" He yelled, his fists striking blow after blow.

The killer breathed through his nose, the pain coursing through him a welcome feeling. He felt alive. He felt human. He felt vindicated for the horror he was about to inflict. Twisting his arm, he freed it from its cage and swung, his blow landing solidly into E's ribcage the same time E's knuckles cracked against the killer's throat. Both men groaned and cried out in pain.

It was too much for Bella. She couldn't see either man. She had no idea what was happening. She only knew that she had to save him. Sobbing, she surged forward, wrapping her arms around E's shoulders and pulling. "Come on! We have to get out of here!"

E jerked in protest. "Bella, no!" But it was too late. The moment his body shifted the killer's arms were free. In a last ditch effort, E leaned back as far as he could, but it wasn't enough to stop the blade from slicing into his cheek. Blood splattered against Bella's face and a scream tore from her throat when E shifted forward again and slammed his fist into the killer's mask once more.

"Edward!" She cried, her hands covering her now bloody face. "No!"

The killer rocked forward, shoving E off his torso and onto the ground. Scrambling to his feet he grabbed E by the front of his shirt and lifted him in the air with ease. His eyes cut to Bella, the brunette who against all instinct refused to leave. He watched her face as he plunged the blade of his machete into E's throat. A spray of blood coated them both when the blade tore through the soft tissue and arteries until it dripped down E's back.

Bella's scream echoed through the forest as he pulled it out slowly, purposefully. He wanted to see her terror. He wanted to see her horrified face as her boyfriend's body slumped lifeless in his arms. He threw E's body at her, the dead weight sending her to the ground and covering her with blood. She twisted and fought to free herself as blood dripped into her eyes and mouth, coating her skin.

She struggled to escape as the killer stepped closer. With fear induced strength, she freed herself. Her eyes widened with fear as they landed on the masked man in front of her. Crawling backward, the sound of her screams caused the forest to cower in fear.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: We don't own it. We just like to bludgeon it to death.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

The ear-piercing shriek bounced around the forest. Garrett froze mid-stride and whispered, "That was Bella!"

"We can't stop! We have to go!" Kate told him, not taking care to stop and listen. She wanted to find the cabins. They'd be safe there in the light and heat. Nothing bad could happen there. She craved the security.

"We can't leave her!"

Not waiting for Kate to argue, Garrett took off in a sprint toward the sound of Bella's cries. Within seconds he reached a clearing. He gasped as the blade of the machete ripped through his friend's throat. His stomach rolled and the bitter taste of vomit coated his tongue as he watched E's blood dribble to his collarbone.

Charging forward, his eyes landed on a palm-sized, jagged rock. With no hesitation, he scooped it up, slamming it into the back of the killers head who was stalking toward Bella as she crab crawled away.

The man crumpled to the ground, but stirred to get back on his feet. Garrett slammed the rock into him again, striking behind his ear. That time, he lay flat, unmoving. The machete lingered just out of his reach. Fresh blood from the blade dripped into the dirt.

Bella wailed, tears dropping down to her cheeks, and Garrett wrapped his fingers around her bicep. He felt her body shiver under his grasp. She'd been shaken so badly that she wore her fear like a fresh, new skin. He attempted to pull her up, but she refused to budge. He screamed in her ear, "You've got to get up!"

But Bella wouldn't hear any of it. She fought him as he towed her from where she'd crawled. She reached for Edward, her fingers splayed and joints tight. "He needs me!"

"He's dead!" He picked her up as she kicked, struggling to break free.

Kate emerged from the tree-covered trail to the scene before her. Two bodies were face-down on the ground. She could see the red tint glinting off the grass in the moonlight. She covered her mouth, unable wrap her mind around the bodies littered feet away from Bella and Garrett.

"Kate! Help me!"

She barely heard Garrett through the blood swishing in her ears, a match to the pounding on her chest and the hot adrenaline pumping through her veins. She didn't hear the panic in his voice and drenched in terror. She didn't recognize them because she'd never heard it before, not from him.

The brisk air blew against her skin, waking her as Garrett shouted again.

"Goddammit, Kate! Fucking help me!"

She heard him that time, truly heard him. Urgent and hostile. Tears dripped down her face as she leaned down to Bella, howling on the frigid ground. She'd nearly managed to lock herself into the fetal position, but Kate seized her face between her icy hands, locking her eyes with hers so she would be sure she heard her. "He's dead," Kate said. Another tear rolled down her cheek. "But, we're not. We have to get back. We've got to go!"

There was still the cabin. Safety wasn't far away.

Bella shook her head, biting her lower lip, sobbing. When they lifted her from the ground, she didn't fight them. She no longer had the strength. Her body seemed as limp as a corpse as they slung her between them.

With her weight on their shoulders they ran as fast as they could back to the cabins, stumbling up the stairs and locking themselves behind the door.

They'd left the bodies behind, not worried about the dead growing colder by the second.

But, one remained warm. His fingers twitched in the grass as he took a deep breath. He found his way into the world again, succumbing to the biting air against his bare skin. Just beyond his fingertips he felt something there, hard and cold. He reached then pulled, claiming the hilt of the machete once more.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: we don't own it, we just make it hurt. **

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

"Shit," Garrett hissed, fumbling with the locks. "Help me get her to the sofa."

Kate sobbed as she helped carry a nearly catatonic Bella into the living room. As soon as Bella was seated, Kate ripped away from her and turned toward Garrett. "Did you see what happened to E? Did you see that man stab him in the throat, Garrett?" Kate's voice rose in volume as she spoke, her words hysterical.

"He's the one, isn't he? He killed Angela and Ben. Oh, my God. What if he killed Esme and Carlisle? Are we all that's left? Is everyone else dead?" Kate yanked at her hair until the strands gave way under the pressure and pulled free from her scalp.

Garrett reached up and pulled Kate's hands free, his eyes wide with panic. He stared at her overwrought expression, drowning in fear. "Baby, you've got to calm down." He gripped her hands and pressed her knuckles to his lips as his eyes drifted to Bella.

His chest clenched and his eyes burned as he stared at Bella's blood soaked face, her tears cutting tracks through the thick layer of crimson coating her skin. She and Kate couldn't possibly have been more different in that moment. But it wasn't Kate he was worried about. Bella was unresponsive. She'd just watched her boyfriend die. She'd almost died herself. He was certain she was in shock. She needed a doctor, and she needed one now.

"We have to get out of here. Bella needs a doctor." He turned toward the front door as Kate huddled next to Bella and hugged her close. His stomach clenched with nerves and his boots scuffed along the old wooden floor as Bella sobbed into Kate's shirt.

Everyone in the room was panicking. In the quiet of night you could almost hear their hearts pounding out a rhythm as they each feared the unknown.

What was next.

"The cars!" Kate blurted out. "We have to leave!"

Garrett looked down at them and turned to the door. "Kate, pack a bag. I'm going to start my truck and pull it to the door. Grab some water and a blanket for Bella."

"Okay," she choked, unmoving.

"Now, Kate. And lock the door behind me. Don't open it unless you hear my voice. Unless I tell you to."

Tears streamed down Kate's cheeks and her breath stuttered in her chest as fear threatened to consume her. "Why? Why do I need to lock the doors? You killed him, didn't you? He's dead isn't he, Garrett? Tell me he's not still out there," she screamed.

Bella keened, her body doubling over as fear and sadness wreaked havoc on her mind and body. Without a word to her panicked friends, she staggered to her feet, her legs carrying her to the privacy of the bathroom where the door clicked shut behind her with deafening finality.

She twisted the knob of the faucet, the water disappearing down the drain as steam rose into the air and coated the mirror. Without flinching, Bella slipped her hands under the scalding waterfall, the clear, pristine water transforming into a red stream as it washed death from her skin.

Pink tears dripped from her jaw and her chin quivered with sadness as she watched the love her life collapse to the ground over and over again in her memory. "Edward, I'm so sorry baby. Please, please forgive me for asking you to do this," she cried, her shoulders shaking as she pleaded for forgiveness. "I should never have planned this trip."

Bella's knees buckled, the hard tile floor slamming against her bones as she fell, cradling her face in her hands. "I can't do this without you. I can't be here without you. I can't live in a world where you don't exist."

Garrett eyed the bathroom door, his heart breaking into a million pieces as Bella's muffled cries echoed around the silent room. "We have to get her out of here now, Kate.

"Where are my keys?" He checked his pockets, pulling them free. "I'm going to get my truck. I want you to lock the door behind me when I leave. As soon as I get it started, I'll pull up right beside the cabin and you get Bella into the car, okay?" Garrett asked, shivering as the cool night air bit at his skin as he opened the door.

"I've never seen her like this before, Garrett." Tears pricked at Kate's eyes as looked toward the closed bathroom door.

"She just watched E die. I'm still not sure what to think. I mean, he was my best friend, Kate." He squeezed his eyes tight and tried to fight off the emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He didn't have time to break down. Not now. Not yet.

He disappeared down the stairs into the dark night, the door of the cabin slamming and locking behind him, the sudden isolation terrifying. He jumped into his truck and yanked the door closed, the lock engaging immediately. He turned the key in the ignition: once, twice. There was nothing but a click. He checked the switches and the lights, but got nothing.

Dread swelled in his chest and sank to his stomach like lead. He grabbed the flashlight in his passengers seat and pulled in a deep breath. With a quick scan of the darkened area around him, he popped the hood and jumped out of the truck. A quick glance under the hood told him everything he needed to know, he had no fucking idea why his truck wouldn't start.

Sprinting up the steps of the cabin he knocked on the door frantically. "Kate, open up!"

Seconds later the lock clicked and the door creaked open. "My truck won't start. I don't know what's wrong with it. Where are Bella's keys? I should grab Carlisle's as well."

"Bella's are probably in their cabin. I can look for Carlisle's while you look in the other cabin." Kate's body vibrated with nerves and her voice shook when she spoke. She didn't want Garrett to leave again, she didn't want him wandering off alone, but she wanted to be stuck at that cabin even less.

Garrett nodded and made sure she locked the door behind him again as he took off toward the other cabin. It only took a couple of minutes to find Bella's keys. Not bothering to go back to the other cabin yet, Garrett went straight for Bella's car. He'd much rather knock on the cabin door with a vehicle running than with an extra set of keys.

Garrett slammed his fist into the seat as Bella's jeep remained silent when turned the key in the ignition. The sinking feeling that had brewed in his stomach rose, vile and burning as realization washed over him. Even though he had one more car to try, he knew it wasn't going to start. They had been sabotaged. They were fucked. Sitting ducks.

Sprinting once more to the cabin door, he didn't bother with explanations as he ripped the final set of keys from Kate's delicate fingers and ran to Carlisle's car. Their last hope of escape. His blood boiled under his cold skin and heart beat wild in his chest when he fell into the seat.

The dead click of the ignition, the confirmation that they never had a chance, felt like a cannon bursting inside Garrett's eardrums. He banged his head onto the steering wheel. He cursed at the car and his fists beat the seat. There were no lights, the windows wouldn't work and the engine was dead. He knew it wasn't a coincidence, there was no freak accident or rotten luck. They were sabotaged. They were pawns in a game they didn't even realize they were playing. And they were losing, badly.

"Fuck!" he sat for a moment, knowing there was no way they could leave that night. The man he'd beaten near the lake didn't want them to leave. They wanted to play with them. To scare them.

When he knocked on the door again, Kate opened it without prompting. She'd listened for the roar of an engine, she'd waited for the illumination of the headlight, but they never came. She knew what it meant. They weren't allowed to leave. The killer had no intention of letting them go. All she could do was pray that when Garrett attacked him, one of the blows he landed extinguished the life from the killer's body.

"I'm sorry," he exhaled, pulling Kate against his chest and squeezing his eyes shut. Kate wrapped her arms around him and shook her head.

"It's not your fault."

They remained in a desperate embrace until Bella's broken sobs pushed them apart. Kate turned toward the bathroom door and Garrett stepped back. "Go be with her. I'm going to secure the doors and windows. We just need to sit tight until morning. We'll leave then. I don't care how far we have to walk. As soon as the sun rises, we're getting the fuck out of here."

"Do you think he's alive?"

"I'm not taking any fucking chances." Garrett moved around the sofa and shoved it toward the front door. Kate stumbled toward the bathroom, Bella's haunting cries echoing through the cabin.

Pushing the door open, Kate's chest constricted. Fear and sadness crippled her as she looked at her broken friend. Collapsing to her knees, she crawled to Bella and wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so fucking sorry," she sobbed, her tears mixing with the blood covering Bella's shirt. "Garrett's going to get us out of here. He's going to save us. Please stay with me. Please don't make me do this alone. I need you, Bella. I'm so scared."

Bella wrapped her hands around Kate's wrist and squeezed, her nails biting into Kate's flesh and breaking the top layer of skin. "I'm nothing without him," she choked. "Nothing. Leave me. I'd rather die here, than live out there without him."

Garrett gripped the frame as he stepped in the doorway. He'd blocked all of the windows and doors and secured the cabin as much as he could. But as he looked down on his broken friend and hysterical girlfriend, he wondered if any of it would matter in the end. If they ever really had a chance. If at any moment, it would be their last. He fell to the floor beside them without a word and pushed the door shut. Propping himself against the solid wood, he pulled the girls against his chest and closed his eyes. They just needed to make it until dawn.

"We're going to be okay, right, baby?"

Garrett looked into Kate's red eyes, shimmering with tears, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Of course we are."

It was the first lie he ever told her.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just use it to fuck with y'all.**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

Garrett groaned and rolled his neck. His entire body ached. Opening his eyes, he squinted against the sunlight filtering through the tiny bathroom window. His heart picked up speed as the day before came rushing back.

He dropped his eyes to Kate, who lay curled against his side, his shirt clutched in her fist. A lump formed in his throat when he shifted his gaze to Bella. She was tucked under his other arm, her position much like Kate's. But Bella wasn't clutching his shirt, nor was she asleep. Her eyes were fixed on the wall in front of her, staring blankly at nothing. Blood still covered her face and clothes, and were it not for her slow rhythmic breathing, he would have assumed she was dead.

He pulled in a deep breath, shaking his head as images of Ben, Angela, and E assaulted his mind. No, he knew what death looked like first hand now, and Bella was a long way from that. But she did need help. She needed a doctor.

"Bella?" He nudged her with his shoulder when she didn't respond and called her name again.

Kate stirred, her movement distracting Garrett from Bella's unresponsive form. "What is she doing?"

"I don't know," Garrett sighed. "She was like this when I woke up a few minutes ago." He looked at the window once more. "It's morning. I have to try to find help. There has to be a Ranger's station somewhere."

Kate stiffened and the familiar feeling of panic welled inside her once more. "But what if he's still out there?"

"Bella's in no shape to walk. We can't leave her here alone."

"I know. I'm just scared."

Garrett kissed the top of Kate's head and squeezed her. "I know. I'll make sure all of the windows and doors are secure and see if I can find anything you can use for a weapon. Just in case," he added when she opened her mouth to protest.

Pressing her lips together in a firm line, she gave a sharp nod and pushed to her feet. Garrett followed suit, pulling Bella with him. He didn't attempt to speak to her again. He knew it was pointless. Where ever she was―whatever corner of her mind she'd retreated to―he couldn't reach her.

After checking the windows and pulling on his shoes, Garrett pressed a large kitchen knife into Kate's shaking hands and hugged her close. "Don't open this door for anyone. Do you hear me?"

Kate nodded and inhaled a stuttering breath. "I'm going to get Bella cleaned up. Then see if I can get her to rest."

"That's a good idea. I promise to come back as fast as I can. Turn the lights off and stay away from the windows. Keep as quiet as possible, okay?"

Dread sank like a rock to the pit of Kate's stomach. "Okay. Be careful."

Gripping the handle of a knife similar to the one Kate held, he nodded and slipped out the cabin into the frigid morning air. His eyes lingered on the door for several moments. He wanted to go back inside and be with them, but he had to find help. He had to protect them both.

He started down the road they'd taken to get there. The gravel crunched under his boots as his eyes scanned the tree line. He hoped he could find someone. A trucker. A ranger. Someone lost on the road. Garrett's thoughts veered toward the girls as he walked further and further away from the cabin. He thought about the man, about seeing E die and finding Ben and Angela.

His stomach churned as his mind played tricks on him. A picture of Bella and Kate huddled together on the floor of the cabin. Their bodies mutilated and chopped to pieces. He couldn't hold back the vomit burning his throat as he fell to his knees and heaved on the side of the road.

When he heard a noise just ahead, he was certain it was just an animal. Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand he looked up, and jumped back. Deep into the woods, lit by the rays of the sun, stood the man he'd hit with a rock. His mask was stained with blood and his clothes were covered in mud. The machete at his side swung in slow purposeful motions as he looked back at Garrett.

If he hadn't just emptied his stomach, he would have done it then.

"Son of bitch!" Garrett jumped to his feet, his heart pounded against his chest. "Shit."

Garrett took off in the opposite direction, his fists clenched and his mind scrambling to figure out what to do. When he looked around, he wasn't sure if he was running toward the cabins or away from them. He wanted to lure the man away from the girls, but thoughts of his own self-preservation clouded his judgement.

The man behind him didn't mind the chase. It was the thrill of the hunt that kept him going.

Garrett tightened his grip around the wooden handle of his knife, his eyes searching the trees for some place to hide. He needed the element of surprise against the masked man. If he could catch him off guard, cut him just right, there was a chance he'd survive.

He took one look behind him―the man no where in sight―and took a sharp left into a thick cut of trees. He ducked under branches and jumped over logs until he had to stop to catch his breath.

The man didn't need the break. His eyes had followed Garrett and his feet beat into the same trail Garrett left in his wake.

Hugging the knife to his chest, Garrett looked around. He could barely see beyond the tangled branches that hung low around him. He listened for the sounds of nature, but heard nothing. Not a chirp from a bird, or the feet of a deer as it pranced through the woods.

He felt safe in that moment and his eyes closed in relief. He didn't realize that all the animals had scattered because of the man standing only a few feet from him. He hadn't seen the fear in their eyes as they saw the mask, or heard the blade of the machete dragging the ground.

Garrett heard the echo of a leaf breaking behind him, his head banging into the bark of the tree as he jerked in surprise. He'd stayed there too long, let the man catch up, all because he needed a minute.

He bit the inside of cheek, prepared to run, but when he peeked around the edge of the tree his entire body froze with fear. He could smell the man's breath, feel its heat on his skin as he stared into cold calculating eyes. The dark bloodstains on his mask made Garrett want to cry. To beg for mercy. For Kate and Bella.

With the knife gripped tightly in his hand, Garrett prepared to swing. His blade glided through the air with ease, but his swing was sloppy. The edge of his knife only caught the man's shirt, tearing a small hole in the fabric.

The man didn't even flinch. With his feet planted firmly in the dirt, the killer retaliated. The blade of his machete sliced into Garrett's arm as he tried to block the attack, blood immediately pouring from the wound and dripping to the ground.

Garrett howled in pain, but kept his grip firm on his knife as the man pulled the machete from Garrett's arm. Blood soaked his shirt as he took another swing, this time even weaker, missing the man completely.

The quiet that followed the next blow was deafening.

Lips met the sharp end of the man's machete, splitting them. It sliced into Garrett's cheeks, piercing his jaw as his mouth kissed the blade. The steel blade cracked into Garrett's teeth as the man added pressure. His arm flexed and his fingers tightened around the handle as he carved into the back of Garrett's throat. Blood poured down Garrett's neck, his tongue falling to the ground as the killer twisted the blade inside of Garrett's mouth.

The man pushed harder until his blade hit Garrett's spine. It's sharpened edge sliced until it dug into the bark of the tree. Garrett's body slumped to the ground below. The white of his spine gleaming where his head had been cut in two.

Above the blade jammed into the tree, sat the top half of Garrett's face. The blood vessel's in his eyes had burst and blood dripped from his nose. His top lip was pressed firmly against the blade and stained in red. He looked terrified.

The killer tore his blade from the tree and watched as Garrett's head joined the rest of his body. He didn't bother setting Garrett any certain way. By the end of the day, there wouldn't be anyone left to stumble upon him.

Kate paced the living room, her heart sinking right along with the setting sun. "He's been gone too long, Bella. We have to go look for him."

Bella lifted her gaze to Kate, her eyes flat, lifeless. "I wonder if he's cold," she mumbled.

"Of course he's cold! It's going to be dark in a couple of hours. He's been gone all day. I never should have let him leave. He shouldn't have gone alone."

"Alone. He's alone."

Kate turned to Bella, her eyes narrowing with anger. "Do you even know what you're saying? Get your shit together, Bella. We have to find Garrett! We have to go!"

Bella blinked, her brows pulling together. "Garrett?"

"Yes, Garrett. Fuck, Bella. He's not back, we have to look for him." Kate's agitation grew as Bella continued to stare over her shoulder at nothing. "I'm going. You can stay here in your fucking waking coma or whatever the hell you're doing. But I'm not going to stay here like a sitting duck. Not when that monster could still be out there!"

Bella pulled her knees into her chest and nodded. "Go. Find Garrett. I'll stay. If the killer is still out there, he can have me."

Tears welled in Kate's eyes. "Bella. No."

"Go," Bella whispered, turning her head away. "Leave me."

Indecision gripped Kate as she looked from Bella to the door. But the fading light was all she needed to push her forward. She had to find Garrett, and she didn't have much time. Grabbing the knife he'd given her, she spared a final glance at Bella before flying out the door, not bothering to even pull it shut. Bella wasn't her problem. Not any more.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just like to tear it apart. **

* * *

**Chapter Twelve **

Kate never truly knew the meaning of fear. She'd felt her heart tumble through her body, the tremor of adrenaline, the heat of an overworked mind. Panic and hopelessness. She could never conceive what fear would manifest as.

Every sound which reached her ears turned her imagination against her. Every rhythm - the sound of crickets, the rustle of dead leaves hanging onto the branches while the wind whipped through them - became a monster, a beguiling form of nightmares. Somewhere in those woods, Garrett faced them, too.

It was then she knew fear, the truth of it, as she called for him across the cavernous weave of growth and forest. She stroked her palm across her forehead and down her face, collecting the tears which had formed while she walked further away from the cabin, from the doors and locks, the security within those walls. There, she had the ability to hide from the world, from the monsters and their tools of death. With every step she took, her confidence waned.

When she left the cabin, exposing herself to danger, she felt sure about finding Garrett. With any luck he would've been on the way back with help and she would've run into him. "Garrett!" she called, but received no answer. Nothing except the chirp of crickets, and the lonely whippor of the nocturnal life in trees. She couldn't call too loud, finding her voice strangled inside the what if lingering in her chest. What if that man lived? What if he was still out there? What if he got Garrett?

She steeled her hand around the hilt of the knife. She should've caved his skull in when Garrett saved Bella from death. She should've taken that machete and chopped him into pieces! But, she didn't. They didn't. They ran away. Retreated behind walls and used furniture as barriers. They cowered together instead of fighting, and now they were paying the price by being apart.

Kate had been walking for thirty minutes, losing herself in the campaign to find the man she loved. The world grew darker by the minute, and she saw how something could change within the blink of an eye. For a moment, she thought of turning back, even stopped walking forward while the idea lingered. Her legs and back were throbbing from the recent events and the way she slept last night. She released her breath into the velvety twilight. Soon, she would be very lost, very cold, and very alone. The longer she stood there, the more she knew she should've turned back, but it only took one second, one name, to convince herself otherwise. What if Garrett needed her?

She pressed forward. "Garrett!" When she received no answer her shoulders slumped forward. "Please," she begged. "Please answer."

Footsteps alarmed her, nearly causing her to scream, and she spun around. A shiver fingered up her spine when she was unable to find the source. She stood very still. Was it Garrett? "Who's there?"

The steps continued to fall.

"Who's there?" she screamed.

Movement behind a tree ahead caught her attention. When her eyes landed on the figure her breath caught. It hadn't been her imagination. Someone was really there. His dark clothes came into view, an arm and shoulder, along with a ribcage. A thick man, strong and powerful with a swayed walk, and for a moment as he moved just beyond full sight, she thought Garrett had found the help he'd been looking for. Or, even better, Garrett himself! She took a few steps forward, seeing the form and feeling the dread swell.

His white mask was splattered in red while the machete in his hands swayed with each motion. Kate shook her head. The promise of tears and anger caused her throat to catch fire. Seeing that masked man confirmed her fear: Garrett didn't make it out alive.

She began to cry, turning away and escaping through the tangle of branches around her. She managed to pick up speed, pushing her aching legs harder. When she looked back he was still there in the distance, following. Her lungs began to burn, her pulse firing inside her neck and chest. In the fresh dark, a new sound began to emerge. A peculiar whoosh which came again after a few seconds then silenced. She knew it then. The road!

She began to pick up speed and came upon the old, weathered concrete. Relief overcame her when she looked down the road at a pair of oncoming headlamps as they peaked over the hill. She ran onto the double line, waving her hands and the knife frantically above her head. The car swerved, racing down the concrete toward her.

"Hey! Hey! Help me! Please!" The sedan swerved violently to the left when they saw her standing there. It passed with squealing tires and a honking horn. "No!"

Another passed in the same fashion.

She looked to the knife she was holding and noted her appearance. No one would stop for her if she was dirty, blood-stained and holding a knife. She slipped it into her pocket while taking a moment to look around for the killer. Nothing.

A tumble across leaves caused her to spin. He was there, emerging from the forest. "Stay away from me! Just leave me alone!" She sobbed in defeat, unable to run another inch. Her sore muscles wouldn't allow it.

His white mask stood apart from the darkness around them. A ghost. The stained blade tapped against his leg, as though a wordless promise to meet her skin. She stood on that dark, empty road praying to be saved. She prayed for a car to whisk her away, but all she heard was the blade tapping and the wind rustling the leaves. The man stepped onto the pavement.

"Please," Kate said. "I haven't done anything. I'm a good person. I swear I won't tell anyone! I swear I won't! Just let me go!" Tears fell onto her already wet cheeks. His steps were heavy on the pavement. "I don't want to die!" Her declaration stirred the quiet woods, and when the man didn't stop, she pulled the hidden knife from her pocket. Her hands shook as she lifted the small blade in front of her. A warning to stay back.

The man smiled behind his mask and lifted his machete in the same manner. A mocking gesture. A pair of headlights could be seen in the distance, and when she removed her eyes from him he stepped to her in one quick motion, grabbing her by the wrist and twisting it to her back. She screamed in pain, dropping the knife. The pressure was too much, and with one slight tweak of position he could break her bones. He led her trembling form off the road and back into the cover of trees. He released her wrists and kicked her into a tree, knocking the breath from her.

Her breath left her lungs violently, and when he flipped her around again she cried and flinched when he raised the blade to her eyes. "Please," she begged again. He cocked his head and followed the trail of her pretty neck to her stained shirt. He lowered the blade, allowing the tip to fall down the center of her chest to her sternum. "Please."

He reached forward and gathered the fabric of her shirt in his hand. Slipping the blade into the material, he sliced then ripped it away, exposing her bare flesh to the nipping cold. She cried don't and no without a voice, pinned to that tree by the point of the bloody machete. It had killed everyone she loved. They'd all died the same way, and he saw it in her eyes. She meant to run. Her last final attempt at life.

Just as she began to move he seized her wrist and came down upon her shoulder with the blade. The force and biting pain shocked her, and she screamed. The blow fixed its way to the bone and he pulled on the arm, raising his foot and kicking her away. An unnatural crack and rip sounded, and her limb was free from her body. The attached skin and muscle under her arm pulled on the remaining flesh of her ribcage, tearing away as he pulled, finally tapering off to her waist.

She wouldn't run anymore. Instead, she lay on the ground convulsing, the life fading from her failing body. Her bones exposed to the elements, and her organs barely pulsing behind them, she bled onto the ground. One might think she was still alive by the way her body moved, but he knew it was her body dying from shock. She would never see another sunrise. He dragged the arm through the forest. Each step led him closer to the camp, where he had unfinished business with the brunette who got away.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just desecrate it.**

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**Chapter Thirteen**

Bella sank to her knees on the floor. Every nerve in her body was alive, buzzing as the threads of her mind seemed to unravel. She reached up and tugged at her shirt, her eyes unfocused as images flashed through her mind. His body, sprawled on the ground, his stillness holding an air of finality that iced her veins.

He made her promises. Promises to always be with her. And she was going to make sure he kept those promises. Even if she had to drag him back from the dead. Jumping to her feet, her eyes landed on the blanket Kate had wrapped tightly around her shoulders. Her eyes stung as her emotions swung from anger to sadness. She wondered if he was cold. If his last breath had been a shivering exhale of frigid night air.

"Fuck." She wiped away the sudden rush of tears falling down her cheeks and screamed. It hurt her ears, but she relished in the pain. How it tore at her throat and burned on her tongue.

With a hand clutched to her chest, she looked around. The room was growing smaller, her breaths coming in pants as she panicked. She needed to get out. To get to him.

She needed him.

Bella grabbed the blanket without thought and turned for the door. Determination masked her features as she darted down the steps. She needed to see him, touch him, kiss his lips one last time. She didn't bother to look around. She didn't care what or who was out there. What did she have left? She was already broken and alone, shredded by his fall to earth.

The ground below her bare feet was cold and bumpy. Her feet throbbed, but she ignored the discomfort. She would be close to him soon. She'd see him and she could smile. The pain in her body was inconsequential. She wanted it. It made her push herself harder. Faster.

Her heart stuttered in her chest when she reached the spot he'd been. Her brows dipped in confusion as she spun in a slow circle. "No." She shook her head and her hands gripped her hair. "No. This isn't happening. This isn't right."

She gritted her teeth, her eyes frantically searching for what she could clearly see wasn't there. She knew this was the spot. That this was exactly where he went down, but there was nothing. Not a drop of blood in the moonlight, nor an impression in the grass. Not a hint of the death she'd witnessed hours before. Both bodies were gone.

Confusion and panic swelled in her chest, the air in her lungs pushing painfully against her ribs. What could have happened? Had someone found them? Did an animal drag the bodies away, hiding the fresh kills for a final pre-hibernation meal? Her stomach rolled at the thought. She wanted to fall right there. She wanted to dig her fingers into the dirt and rocks. Demand whatever had taken him bring him back. Give him to her.

She searched for some sign. Something to tell her where to go. Her eyes burned and fresh tears tracked down her cheeks. She had to find him. The thought of never being able to tell him goodbye, that she loved him, caused a veil of numbness to wash over her. Clumsily, she stumbled back into the trees, calling out his name as dark forest swallowed her.

Bella spotted an opening in the trees and with a racing heart she lurched forward. Leaves crunched under her weight as she ran. Branches smacked at her arms and chest. Her heart pounded with every step as she screamed for him. She may as well have been running blind in the dark. She didn't even recognize the area anymore. She didn't know how far she had went and she didn't care. She'd go like this for days if it meant finding him.

When the moon hung high in the sky she was in a daze, wandering around and crying. The image of his broken body played in her mind, taunting her. She felt as though someone was behind her at every turn, but when she looked only mangled branches greeted her. She touched every tree she passed and the man smiled as he watched her fingers brush against the bark.

She would never find him, but someone would find her. Stalk her. Heavy boots, too far away for her to hear, cut across the forest floor. He searched for her, the last one. There was a need in the way he carried himself. How tightly he gripped the machete with thoughts of her in his mind.

He was hungry for this one.

She had begun to ramble, broken words from a broken girl. It was beautiful. When her screams filled the air, he quickened his steps.

The man enjoyed their game. He liked watching her.

When Bella heard a twig snap behind her eyes shot wide. It snapped her out of her haze, adrenaline spiking her blood. She didn't want to think that someone had survived. That kind of hope would only break her further, but still, it soared within her. Hope and fear.

The man stopped moving and clutched the machete tighter. He could see indecision in the way she stood. How she looked to the left and the right. She would run, he was sure of it. When she dashed to the right, his smile quirked up and he took off toward her.

Bella was stumbling and out of breath, her feet stung as the ground tore them open and her hair stuck to her face in a sweaty, matted mess. Every time she stumbled and fell, the man drew closer. She knew her mind wasn't playing tricks on her then. She heard the footfalls. She knew she was being hunted. Her legs were shaking and her body ached.

It took only a branch. One simple broken tree to take her down. Blood and mud covered her palms as they broke her fall. Tears covered her face and her mouth was open in shock as she lay on her back.

Towering above her and blocking out the moon, stood the man. His machete gleamed and dripped with crimson as he looked down at her. His eyes danced with excitement as she lay helplessly on the ground.

Her lips parted―her deafening scream ricocheting off the trees and piercing the night―as he lifted the blade high into the air.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: We don't own it, we just make it unholy.**

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

_Her lips parted―her deafening scream ricocheting off the trees and piercing the night―as he lifted the blade high into the air._

.

.

.

The man's smile widened as she scrambled away from him. He took a lazy step forward and shook his head. She wasn't getting away. Not again. But that didn't mean he didn't love seeing her try.

Bella kicked her foot out, her heal connecting with his shin. The man winced and dropped the machete to his side. When she kicked again, he reached with his free hand and grabbed the hem of her jeans. He dragged her body across the ground, pulling her closer. In a move he wasn't prepared for, Bella lifted her upper body and fisted the bottom of his shirt with both hands. Caught off guard, he was unable to maintain his balance when she jerked her arms, causing him to fall on top of her.

Both grunted from the force of impact, the breath leaving their bodies in a pained exhale. Bella remained frozen for a split second longer before a laugh bubbled from her chest. Her heart thundered as she reached for his mask and yanked it off, revealing hungry green eyes and a playful smirk.

"You scared the shit out of me," she laughed breathlessly.

He tossed the machete to the side and wrapped his hands in her hair. "I know how much you like your games, baby." He scanned her face, his eyes growing darker, his expression possessive. Without warning his mouth covered hers, his kiss demanding, bruising, punishing.

Bella moaned and fisted his hair. Their teeth knocked together, their bodies rigid with tension as they tried to consume each other. Panting, Bella's eyes rolled back as his lips skimmed the column of her throat. When he sank his teeth into her skin, his name left her lips in a low hiss. "Edward."

He flexed his hips and sucked her salty skin into his mouth. Pulling back, he placed a kiss over the indentation left from his teeth, the move surprisingly gentle. "I missed you, Bella."

Her eyes glistened as she blinked back a sheen of tears. "I thought you were dead." Her hand ghosted down the back of his head to his neck.

"That mother fucker," Edward spat, his expression hardening. Sucking in a deep breath, he shook his head. He let the memory of Garrett's bloody and broken body play out in his mind. A slow smile twisted his lips as he relaxed between Bella's parted thighs. "Don't worry, baby. He paid for what he did."

"Did he now?" She smirked, malice dancing in her heated gaze.

"I did everything you told me to. Just like you planned."

"Except for this." Her fingers danced along the neck, the pressure of her touch increasing when she ghosted over his swollen tender flesh.

Edward hissed and pulled away, his eyes suddenly narrowing. "I don't recall you fucking that guy being part of the plan either."

Bella rolled her eyes and pushed him off her. Sitting up, she grabbed his face between her hands and squeezed. When their gaze met, his body stiffened. Her eyes were flat, cold, dangerous. "Do you think I'd let that pathetic asshole put his limp dick inside me? It was all an act. I don't fuck losers. I need a real man. One that would do anything for me, give me whatever my heart desired." She leaned forward and ran her tongue over his bottom lip, her eyes locked with his. When she spoke again her voice was lower, her words coated with seduction. "One that would kill for me."

A shudder ran down Edward's spine. His eyes closed and his heart took flight, pounding against his ribs and sending his blood rushing through his veins. "I killed for you."

"You did."

"I'd do it again."

"I know you would." Bella released his face and rose to her feet. Grabbing his hand, she helped Edward stand. "Let's go back to your cabin. I want to look at your neck and I want to hear every bloody, gory detail."

Edward grinned and stooped down, grabbing the machete and mask. "You sure you wouldn't rather I show you?"

Humming, Bella slipped her arm around his waist. "Tempting, but I'd rather wait until it's light out. I don't want to miss one single detail."

"You always were too curious for your own good."

"It is what killed the cat," she giggled.

"Among other things."

The smile slipped from Bella's face as her mind was flooded with memories of her childhood. And like always, one in particular was the most vivid. The catalyst that set in motion a chain of events leading to death and destruction.

_"Bella, don't go too far!" Renee yelled, shaking her head._

_Rolling her eyes, Bella ignored her mother's warning and set off for the woods. She pushed her legs, running as hard as she could, trying to escape the invisible force that seemed to tighten around her chest like a vice. She felt bottled up, antsy, smothered. She wanted to run until she collapsed, until her lungs burned and her legs shook. Anything to relieve the growing sense of agitation spreading through her limbs._

_Gasping for air, she slowed to a stop and flattened her palm against the trunk of a tree. She bent at the waist and sucked in several deep breaths, blinking away the tears burning her eyes. That's when she saw it. A rabbit. It lay on its side, its chest rising and falling quickly as if it were panting. Her brows dipped and a small frown turned down her lips when she realized it hadn't run when she approached. Straightening her back, she edged closer, her eyes widening as she did._

_"Oh," she exhaled, her pulse racing. Her eyes traveled along the forest floor, pausing when her gaze reached the jagged metal claw clamped around soft fur. Falling to her knees, she reached out and ran her finger along the rusty metal. The rabbit kicked, an inhuman screech following immediately after._

_Her lips parted and her hand trembled as she touched her fingers to the warm, sticky liquid leaking from the rabbits leg. "Does it hurt?" she whispered. It was then that she noticed the ever present constraint around her chest had loosened, replaced with something else, something more. Wetting her lips, she touched the trap again. Only this time she added pressure, pushing against the metal, causing the sharp teeth to dig further into the animal's body. When it howled in pain again, she felt weightless. Free. Until that moment, only he'd ever made her feel that way._

_She looked around, her eyes landing on an old weathered knife protruding from a tree, a rope dangling from the handle. Without thought, she jumped to her feet and moved quickly toward it. Tugging with all her strength, she yanked it from the bark and sap. She looked from the knife to the rabbit, a malicious smile curving her lips._

_With each step, her eyes became darker, her intentions clear. She wanted to hear it scream again. She wanted to see if the sound would change. She wanted to see if a rabbit could cry. Her first incision was hesitant, the thick fur resistant to the dull blade. But she'd answered her first question, the sound did change. The tortured cry seeped into her skin and rang in her ears like music._

_The next time the blade made contact, there was no hesitation. The sound of a twig snapping caused her to jerk in surprise, her head whipping to the side._

_"What are you doing, Bella?"_

_She smiled then, the tension leaving her body in one long exhale. "Oh, it's you."_

_Edward moved forward, his eyes focused on the blood covering her hands. "Are you hurt?"_

_Bella shook her head, a wicked smile curving her lips. "No. But I can't say the same for him." She looked back at the rabbit, its intestines pushing out the long slit she'd cut into it's underbelly._

_"Why did you do that?" Edward shifted nervously, but fell to his knees she she beckoned him to do so. He always did what she wanted. From the first time they met, when their parents introduced themselves by the lake, he'd been under her spell. In the three years since, even though he only saw her for a few months out of the year, he only fallen further. At the ripe age of fourteen, he'd handed himself to her on a silver platter._

_"Try it," she urged, pressing the handle of the knife into his palm. When he hesitated, her eyes narrowed and her lips mashed together. "Are you scared?"_

_"No," he answered immediately, not wanting to disappoint her._

_She shook her head, her eyes softening and her lips forming a sweet pout. "Then will you try it? For me?"_

_Edward swallowed and blood roared in his ears. "Anything for you." He didn't give himself the chance to chicken out, instead he plunged the knife into the rabbit's side, the small flicker of life finally fading from its eyes. He exhaled heavily, his body trembling with nervous energy._

_Bella grabbed his free hand with hers and squeezed, her smile blinding. "See? Didn't that feel amazing?"_

_Edward didn't know how to describe what he felt at the moment, because all he cared about was the way she was looking at him. It was all he ever cared about any more. Wrapped up in their bubble, neither heard the sound of approaching footsteps until it was too late._

_Renee screamed, her hand covering her mouth as she took in the scene before her. Edward, a knife clutched in his hand and Bella, bloodied and smiling from ear to ear. When her gaze landed on the mutilated animal between them, bile rose hot and thick to her throat. She gagged, the bitter acidic liquid spewing from her mouth and covering the ground below._

_Panicked, Bella and Edward jumped to their feet, their hands clasped tightly together. Renee's eyes burned with unshed tears as anger and fear swelled in her chest. "Get away from her," she screamed, her furious eyes locked on Edward. "Get away from my daughter, you monster."_

_Edward opened his mouth to protest just as Charlie ran up behind Renee._

_"Oh, my God," Charlie whispered, his eyes pained. "Bella, what have you done?"_

_"It's not Bella," Renee screeched, her eyes wide with panic. "It's him! He did this. Look at them, Charlie."_

_Charlie shook his head and looked at Edward. "Get out of here, son." When Edward didn't move, Charlie's expression darkened. "Don't make me say it again."_

_Tears leaked from Bella's eyes, but her face remained free of emotion. When Edward tugged his hand, she tightened her grip. "No."_

_"Bella, let him go. You're only making things worse." Charlie took a step forward, a shiver running up his spine when his gaze locked with his daughter's dead emotionless eyes. In that moment, she didn't even appear human._

_She stared him down, defiance radiating out of every pore. It wasn't until Edward flexed his fingers and whispered her name that she loosened her grip and relinquished her hold. She turned her head in his direction, and as if snapping out of a trance, she looked like the twelve year old girl she was._

_"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Edward stepped back, not daring to look at her parents. He didn't need to look at them to know that wasn't going to happen. Renee's sobs and Charlie's stiff posture told him they be gone before morning. Instead, he stared at the girl with deep brown eyes, masking secrets he couldn't begin to understand. All that he knew was the she had changed something inside him, and no matter what the cost, he'd do anything for her._

Bella had laid in bed that night, her eyes focused on the ceiling as her parents moved around the cabin packing their things. Hushed whispers echoed through the walls. Words she didn't fully comprehend, like psychiatric evaluation and chemical imbalance, traveled to her ears. But other words, she understood with perfect clarity. When her mother's harsh demand that they sell the cabin and never come back penetrated her skin Bella's entire body locked with rage.

They meant to keep her away from Edward. Send her to doctors for things she didn't understand. Take away the only person that soothed her, let her be herself. Resolve calcified in her veins as the night faded and the sun began to rise. She would never allow them to keep her from Edward. No one would keep her from him.

What happened later would be labeled a tragic accident. A car crash into a retaining wall caused by an attempt to miss a lone deer standing in the road. Only one survivor would be pulled from the wreckage. A fragile, sobbing, twelve year old girl, who in a matter of seconds had become an orphan.

No questions were asked, not a single suspicion found. Because the truth of that deadly accident―that it was no accident at all―was unimaginable. But it wasn't an accident. Not when Bella covered her mother's head with a plastic bag and slammed a heavy rock into skull and not when she did the same to her father as he fought to stop her. By the time he realized he'd released the steering wheel, they were already careening into a retaining wall.

Renee, who wasn't wearing her seatbelt, was thrown from the car. Her death was instant. When Charlie groaned in pain, Bella released her seat belt and climbed to the front. Semiconscious and bleeding, he put up little fight as she slipped the plastic bag over his head and suffocated the life from his body.

"Hey."

Bella jumped at the sound of Edward's voice, feeling disoriented as she was ripped from her memories to the present. "Yeah?"

"We're here."

Bella looked at the cabin and smiled. In her peripheral she saw two figures slumped against the side of the house, but she wasn't interested in that right now. She wanted to go inside and bathe herself in the warmth of the only place that had ever felt like home.

She moved around the living room with comfortable familiarity. Her finger trailed along the mantle above the fireplace, a condescending sneer twisting her lips when her eyes landed on a picture of Edward's parents. They too had tried to take Edward away from her. But their attempt at separating Edward and Bella was futile. By the time they realized something wasn't right about Bella, that something dark and sinister lived and breathed inside of her, their son was already lost. He would rather have died than be parted from her. And since Bella had no intention of living without him, their lives would be forfeit.

_"They're going to send me away. They found my journal. They know what I did."_

_"No. I won't lose you. I can talk to them, make them understand."_

_"Talking won't fix this. The only thing that can make this go away is silence."_

_Understanding dawned on Edward's face as her implication became clear. "You're going to kill my parents."_

_Bella shook her head and laughed, her fingers gently stroking his cheek. "Of course not, Edward. You are."_

_Edward blanched. "Me? I can't kill my parents, Bella."_

_Tears welled in her eyes as she lowered her gaze. "I see," she whispered._

_Edward tipped her chin until their eyes met. "What do you see?"_

_"That I love you more. When my parents tried to keep us apart, I did what was necessary to stop them."_

_"Bella, I love you more than my own life. I'd do anything for you."_

_"Anything?"_

_"Anything."_

_"Would you kill for me, Edward?"_

_He stared at her for a long moment before he dipped his chin. "Yes."_

_"Then show me."_

Bella grabbed the picture frame and laid it face down. She wasn't interested in looking at those who weren't important. His parents had served their purpose. The brutal attack they'd suffered by a wild pack of wolves had set Edward for life. It didn't matter that they were already dead when their bodies had been dumped in the woods, the carnage that remained left no clues.

But something changed in Edward after that night, and Bella embraced it. He had a thirst, a need for the rush that accompanied draining the life from someone's eyes. It was something Bella was more than happy to help him with. When the idea came to make it a game, he was more than ready to play.

It only took a few months for Bella to charm her way into a group of friends at a college campus a hundred miles away. She played her part to a tee. And when she suggested they all go camping, no one suspected a thing. Why would they? Why would anyone think they were being herded like cattle to a slaughter?

Bella fingered the mask on the table, grinning at Edward as he walked back in the room.

"What are you grinning about?" He laughed, crossing the room and wrapping his arms around her waist.

Picking up the mask, she slipped it over her face. "I think it's your turn to go fishing."

Dropping his mouth to her neck, he kissed her softly. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. But right now, I want you to fuck me wearing this mask."

Edward groaned and slid his hands down her back and under her thighs. He picked her up, her legs wrapping around her waist as he carried her toward the bedroom.

"Whatever you want, Bella. Always."

* * *

**A/N**

***No bunnies were harmed during the creation of this chapter. ;)**

**Big thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and pimped our little tale 'o horror. We love you guys in the most creepy way possible.**

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

**xoxo**

**~The Unholy Trinity**


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